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casing photographic images that illustrate how the inputs are integrated into the product’s definition. Saffer understands the pioneer’s desire to roll up sleeves and create, and he points out the dangers of overdocumenting. He shows a healthy respect for the value of the designer’s instinct and an understanding of the fact that each project deserves a unique approach that may be influenced, but is not necessarily dictated by prior processes.
The vast array of examples will certainly whet anyone’s appetite for creating gestural interfaces, and many designers involved in either software or hardware design will jump at the opportunity to specify these new user behaviors. But once we peel our faces from the candy-store window, we confront the actual daunting task—determining exactly which gesture is best in which context. We have the responsibility to choose wisely, and to avoid using technology for technology’s sake. With fewer constraints than ever before, it is up to us to create conceptual frameworks that are meaningful not only in form but in behavior as well. Though the book touches on this kind of insight, it fails to commit to any real exploration of the meaning of gestures within the context of physical product design. Designing Gestural Interfaces is nearly encyclopedic in its coverage of certain aspects of gesture- and screen-based interfaces, but what it offers in quantity, it lacks in depth. It takes a good stab at the “how” as well as the “what” for each gesture listed but falls short when it comes to the “why.” While it can be argued that the social, psychological, and cultural significance of gestures can be subjective and is not something one can learn about through a book, having a keen awareness of the semantic implied by product and user behaviors is where great designers soar and less successful ones stumble. Designers needing inspiration and ammunition to help them see the value of the end product— especially in the face of questioning clients—won’t find it in this book.
Another disappointment is the book’s failure to discuss how the body’s relationship to physical objects influences gestures. Within the litany of “free-form” gestures described in chapter 4 are many that draw from human experience with real physical objects. For example, “shake” has specific emotional and cultural references, such as the playing of some vessel-like instruments, the movement of a baby’s rattle, and the preparation of Friday night martinis, but in the text it is used
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